Coventry Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy

This is the Playing Pitch & Outdoor Sport Strategy (PPOSS) for Coventry City Council. Building upon the preceding updated Assessment Report, it provides a clear, strategic framework in relation to the provision of playing pitch and outdoor sport facilities. It delivers:

• A vision for the future protection, improvement and development of provision.
• A series of sport-by-sport recommendations and scenarios.
• A series of strategic recommendations.
• A prioritised area-by-area and site-by-site action plan that prioritise and can address key issues.

The Strategy is delivered in accordance with Sport England’s Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) Guidance (for playing pitch sports) and Sport England’s Assessing Needs and Opportunities Guide (for “non-pitch” sports). Sport England’s PPS Guidance details a stepped approach, separated into five distinct sections:

• Stage A: Prepare and tailor the approach
• Stage B: Gather information and views on the supply of and demand for provision
• Stage C: Assess the supply and demand information and views
• Stage D: Develop the Strategy
• Stage E: Deliver the Strategy and keep it robust and up to date

This report represents Stage D of the process, with stages A-C covered in the preceding Assessment Report and Stage E ongoing once the study is complete. The lifespan of a PPOSS is considered to be three years, although this can be increased if it is regularly kept up to date.

Where not already implemented, the recommendations that come out of this strategy should be translated into local planning policy so that there is a mechanism in place to protect existing provision and to secure investment where the opportunity arises.

Agreed scope

The following types of outdoor sports facilities are covered by the PPOSS:

• Football pitches (including 3G pitches)
• Cricket pitches
• Rugby union pitches (including 3G pitches)
• Rugby league pitches
• Hockey pitches (sand/water based AGPs)
• Golf courses
• Athletics tracks
• Outdoor bowling greens
• Outdoor tennis courts
• Outdoor netball courts

Other grass pitch sports (e.g., lacrosse and American football) are also included, where there is a presence within the City. Where no activity has been identified, the sports are not included, although that is not to say that they are not played informally.

Study area

The study area comprises the whole of the Coventry administrative area.

Moreover, for the purposes of this project, Coventry has been divided into four analysis areas. These are based on grouping wards together and reflect how sport is played in the City as well as the travel patterns of users, as agreed by the Steering Group. They allow for a more localised assessment of provision and examination of playing pitch surplus and deficiencies at a local level and allow local circumstances and issues to be taken into account. The analysis areas are summarised in the table below.

Vision and objectives

The vision for the PPOSS provides a clear focus with desired outcomes for the study. It seeks to support the Council and its partners to:

"Provide a range of modern, accessible and high quality [outdoor] sports facilities in the city."

Aims

The following overarching aims are based on the three Sport England themes (see figure 3.1 below). It is recommended that they are adopted by the Council and its partners to enable it to achieve the overall vision of the PPOSS and Sport England planning objectives. Strategy delivery is the responsibility of, and relies upon, all relevant stakeholders.

1. Aim one: To protect the existing supply of outdoor sport provision and ancillary facilities where it is needed for meeting current and future needs.
2. Aim two: To enhance outdoor sport provision and ancillary facilities through improving quality and management of sites.
3. Aim three: To provide new outdoor sport provision and ancillary facilities where there is current or future demand to do so.

Download documents

• Coventry Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy
• Coventry Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Assessment Report